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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · field · craft · land · object · chair · stem · bark

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. object — a thing
  3. craft — a skill
  4. land — to come down
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stem — to come from
  7. field — a subject
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. object — to protest
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. field — for sport
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — a leader
  16. craft — boats
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. object — an aim
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bark — to shout
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com